Integrated multilayer structure and a method for manufacturing a multilayer structure

Abstract

An integrated multilayer structure includes a substrate film including an electrically insulating material; a circuit design including electrically conductive elements provided on the substrate film, the conductive elements defining a number of contact areas; a connector at the edge of the substrate film, the connector including a number of electrically conductive elongated contact elements, such as pins, connected to the contact areas of the conductive elements of the circuit design on the substrate film while further extending from the substrate film to couple to an external connecting element responsive to mating the external connecting element with the connector; and at least one plastic layer molded onto the substrate film so as to at least partially cover the circuit design and only partially cover the connector.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An integrated multilayer structure comprising:
 a substrate film having an outer surface that extends to an outermost edge, the substrate film comprising an electrically substantially insulating material; 
 a circuit design comprising electrically conductive elements, provided on the substrate film, said conductive elements defining a number of contact areas; 
 a connector supported on the outer surface of the substrate film and extending to the at an outermost edge of the substrate film, the connector comprising a number of electrically conductive elongated contact elements connected to the contact areas of the conductive elements of the circuit design on the substrate film while further extending away from the contact areas substantially along the outer surface of the substrate film over the outermost edge of and from the substrate film to free ends thereof that selectively couple to an external connecting element responsive to mating the external connecting element with the connector, the connector including an electrically insulating connector housing for the contact elements, the contact elements at least partially positioned in contact with the outermost edge of the substrate film and the outer surface of the substrate film; and 
 at least one plastic layer molded onto the substrate film so as to at least partially cover the circuit design and only partially cover the connector, the covered portions including connection points of the contact elements with the contact areas and at least partially excluding the extended portions of the contact elements configured to couple to the external connecting element. 
 
     
     
       2. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein said circuit design comprises a number of electronic components. 
     
     
       3. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the connector housing comprises or consists of a pre-prepared separate piece of material, said connector housing being at least partially overmolded by one or more layers of the at least one plastic layer. 
     
     
       4. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the connector housing is at least partially defined by a plastic layer of the at least one plastic layer molded onto the substrate film, comprising a different material than at least one other layer of the at least one plastic layer, said housing-establishing plastic layer being at least partially overmolded by at least one further plastic layer of the at least one plastic layer. 
     
     
       5. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plastic layer comprises at least two adjacent layers of mutually different material. 
     
     
       6. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plastic layer comprises a functional layer with thermally conductive and/or optically transmissive or opaque material, said functional layer establishing at least portion of connector housing and/or embedding one or more electronic components included in the circuit design. 
     
     
       7. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the edge of the substrate film is bent or angled, said substrate film substantially defining an L-profile. 
     
     
       8. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plastic layer partially covering the connector, including the connection points, is located on one side of the substrate film, and the remote ends of the extended portions of the contact elements to contact the external connecting element are located on the same or opposite side of the substrate film. 
     
     
       9. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the contact elements of the connector extend laterally beyond the edge of the substrate film, thereby substantially defining an I-profile, and/or transversely away from the substrate film, thereby substantially defining an L-profile. 
     
     
       10. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the contact elements of the connector are bent or angled. 
     
     
       11. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein at least one element or portion of the connector, comprising at least one contact element and/or connector housing or part thereof, has been secured to any remaining portion of the connector, the at least one plastic layer, the substrate film and/or the contact area thereon through the use of at least one element selected from the group consisting of: adhesive, conductive adhesive, mechanical securement, chemical securement, thermal securement, crimping, friction securement, and compressive force such as spring force based securement. 
     
     
       12. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the connector is configured to provide galvanic electrical connectivity for signal and/or power transfer and a further connectivity, including optical and/or thermal connectivity, thereby rendering the connector a hybrid connector. 
     
     
       13. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein said connector comprises at least one feature selected from the group consisting of: pin header, crimped connector, crimped contact element, crimping spike, springy contact element, row connector, spring-loaded contact element, spring-loaded contact pin or slip, contact pad, contact area, contact pin, crimped contact pin, hole with walls and/or bottom of conductive material, socket, female socket, male plug or socket, hybrid socket, pin socket, and spring pin socket. 
     
     
       14. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the contact elements of the connector protrude away from the inner, optionally substantially middle, or peripheral area of the outer surface of the structure. 
     
     
       15. The structure of  claim 1 , further comprising compressive material between at least a portion of at least one contact element of the connector and the substrate film. 
     
     
       16. The structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing member, configured on the substrate film, the at least one plastic layer or specifically, on at least a portion of the connector provided on the substrate film, so as to face and contact the external connecting member or a further portion of the connector implementing a hermetic seal between the connected elements. 
     
     
       17. The structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking member for removably securing a portion of the connector or the external connecting member to the structure. 
     
     
       18. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive elongated contact elements include pins. 
     
     
       19. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the outermost edge is a side edge that extends between a top surface and a bottom surface of the substrate film. 
     
     
       20. The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive elongated contact elements are in contact with the surface and the outermost edge of the substrate film along which the electrically conductive elongated contact elements extend. 
     
     
       21. An integrated multilayer structure comprising:
 a substrate film comprising an electrically substantially insulating material; 
 a circuit design comprising electrically conductive elements, provided on the substrate film, said conductive elements defining a number of contact areas; 
 a connector at an outermost edge of the substrate film, the connector comprising a number of electrically conductive elongated contact elements connected to the contact areas of the conductive elements of the circuit design on the substrate film while further extending from the substrate film to couple to an external connecting element responsive to mating the external connecting element with the connector, the connector including an electrically insulating connector housing for the contact elements, the contact elements at least partially positioned in contact with the outermost edge of the substrate film; 
 at least one plastic layer molded onto the substrate film so as to at least partially cover the circuit design and only partially cover the connector, the covered portions including connection points of the contact elements with the contact areas and at least partially excluding the extended portions of the contact elements configured to couple to the external connecting element; and a further substrate film having a further circuit design with electrically conductive elements thereon, wherein plastic material of one or more plastic layers of the at least one plastic layer is located between the substrate films, the circuit designs of the substrate films being electrically connected by the connector and/or a connecting member. 
 
     
     
       22. The structure of  claim 21 , wherein said number of contact elements of the connector comprises a first contact element and the connector further comprises a second contact element that is connected to the further circuit design of the further substrate film, the remote ends of said first and second contact elements extending from the respective substrate films being located adjacent each other. 
     
     
       23. The structure of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second contact elements are connected together, utilizing a removably attachable connecting element, such as an externally disposable jumper or other externally disposable connecting element. 
     
     
       24. A method for manufacturing a multilayer structure, comprising:
 obtaining a substrate film having an outer surface that extends to an outermost edge, the substrate film comprising an electrically substantially insulating material for accommodating electronics; 
 providing, at least in part by printed electronics technology, a circuit design comprising electrically conductive elements, including traces, of electrically conductive material on the substrate film, said conductive elements defining a number of contact areas; 
 arranging at least one connector on the outer surface of the substrate film so that the at least one connector extends from the outer surface to the outermost edge of the substrate film, the connector comprising a number of electrically conductive elongated, substantially rigid, contact elements connected to the contact areas of the conductive elements of the circuit design while being further configured to extend away from the contact areas substantially along the outer surface of the substrate film over the outermost edge of and from the substrate film to free ends thereof that selectively couple to an external connecting element responsive to mating the external connecting element with the connector, the at least one connector including an electrically insulating connector housing for the contact elements; 
 at least partially positioning the contact elements in contact with the outermost edge of the substrate film and the outer surface of the substrate film; and 
 molding, utilizing injection molding, thermoplastic or thermoset material on the substrate film so as to at least partially cover the circuit design and only partially the connector, the covered portions including connection points of the contact elements with the contact areas and at least partially omitting the extended portions of the contact elements configured to couple to the external connecting element. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , comprising further securing the electrical connector, by bonding, such as crimping, or using adhesive, on the substrate film. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 24 , comprising forming, thermoforming or cold forming, the substrate film already provided with at least part of the circuit design and with at least part of the connector to shape the substrate film so as to at least locally exhibit a substantially three-dimensional target shape. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least portion of a housing of the connector is provided as a ready-made element on the substrate film, included in an insert for said molding. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least portion of a housing of the connector is established from the molded material. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 24 , wherein said molding comprises multi-shot molding, wherein at least one shot is utilized to establish at least a portion of a housing of the connector from a different material than the material used for at least one other molding shot. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 24 , comprising providing a sealing member to seal the internals of the external connecting member or a portion of the connector with the rest of the multilayer structure. 
     
     
       31. A method for manufacturing a multilayer structure, comprising:
 obtaining a substrate film comprising an electrically substantially insulating material for accommodating electronics; 
 providing, at least in part by printed electronics technology, a circuit design comprising electrically conductive elements, including traces, of electrically conductive material on the substrate film, said conductive elements defining a number of contact areas; 
 arranging at least one connector at the outermost edge of the substrate film, the connector comprising a number of electrically conductive elongated, substantially rigid, contact elements connected to the contact areas of the conductive elements of the circuit design while being further configured to extend from the substrate film to couple to an external connecting element responsive to mating the external connecting element with the connector, the at least one connector including an electrically insulating connector housing for the contact elements; at least partially positioning, the contact elements in contact with the outermost edge of the substrate film; and 
 molding, utilizing injection molding, thermoplastic or thermoset material on the substrate film so as to at least partially cover the circuit design and only partially the connector, the covered portions including connection points of the contact elements with the contact areas and at least partially omitting the extended portions of the contact elements configured to couple to the external connecting element; and 
 a further substrate film comprising electrically substantially insulating material for accommodating electronics is obtained and provided with a further circuit design comprising electrically conductive elements, said conductive elements defining a number of contact areas on the further substrate film; 
 wherein said number of contact elements of the connector comprises a first contact element and the connector additionally comprises a second contact element that is connected to a contact area of said number of contact areas on the further substrate film, the remote ends of said first and second contact elements being configured to extend from the respective substrate films and directed adjacent each other. 
 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first and second contact elements are connected together, utilizing a removable external connecting element, such as an externally disposable jumper or other externally disposable connecting element.